The invention relates to a sensor comprising an emitting element emitting a bundle of light rays in a direction of propagation, the bundle of light rays having transversely to its direction of propagation a distribution of intensity which varies over its cross-section, a receiving element receiving the bundle of light rays and having at least one receiving surface for the bundle of light rays, the emitting element being so arranged relative to the receiving element that when the sensor is acted upon, the emitting element is movable relative to the receiving element in a direction of deflection transversely to the direction of propagation of the bundle of light rays, and an evaluating device generating an output signal of the sensor.
Such a sensor is known from DE-OS (German published patent application) 32 30 615. In accordance with one embodiment, this sensor is provided with an emitting element in the form of a light guide which emits the bundle of light rays and is movable when the sensor is acted upon and with a receiving element which receives the bundle of light rays via a light wave guide which then conducts the received light to a detector. A further embodiment comprises a stationary emitting element in the form of either a lamp or a lamp with a light guide and a receiving element including a movable light guide which conducts the light to the detector. All of the embodiments according to DE-OS (German published patent application) 32 30 615 are designed such that one or several photosensors receive a light intensity which is dependent on the deflection of the movable light guide, but the way of evaluating the light intensity so as to obtain an output signal is not discussed.
In DE-OS (German published patent application) 32 30 615, it is not disclosed how an exact measurement is to be carried out in order to determine the deflection and the direction of deflection.
The object underlying the invention is, therefore, to so improve a sensor of the generic kind that the deflection and the direction of deflection can be determined precisely.